Community calls for reconsideration of site for new Bethesda-area elementary school

...“[Grosvenor] has a history as an elementary school, and a local community that supports its reopening and reassignment of their children to Grosvenor,” Walter Johnson High School cluster coordinator Emily Beckman said.

The Grosvenor site has many benefits, primarily that it is large and is centrally located to where crowding problems are, Beckman said.

Wendy Calhoun, a former Walter Johnson cluster coordinator, highlighted that the school board has voted three times to undergo a site selection process for a new elementary school since 2016. Once, the process never started. Other times, it was never finished.

This time, Calhoun said, the school district is not listening to the community’s input...

https://bethesdamagazine.com/bethesda-beat/schools/community-calls-for-reconsideration-of-site-for-new-bethesda-area-elementary-school/

Bret Harte Filed Suit Against FieldTurf for Failed Football Field. Field Replaced. Same Type Field as Walter Johnson HS @mcps

This high school had the same type of plastic football field as is currently in use at Walter Johnson High School.  The WJHS plastic field has been deteriorating for years due to the defective plastic grass blades.  MCPS and the Board of Education have ignored the failure of this field and continued to keep in open, putting the safety of children at risk every day.

2016: 

High school calls foul on its football field; sues FieldTurf

http://parentscoalitionmc.blogspot.com/2016/03/just-in-high-school-calls-foul-on-its.html

2017:
Bret Harte gets new turf to defend   
 http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/sports/article_c0c8249c-57a2-11e7-bc6e-6bc4f5561323.html 

Reopened Woodward High School Might Not Have Athletic Stadium

High school in Rockville would be first in MCPS without sports complex

Story by Caitlynn Peetz in Bethesda Beat. Full story here.

MCPS staff shared early plans for construction at Monday’s Board of Education meeting, including plans for flexible classroom space that could double as gathering and performing arts areas, but much of the discussion was the future of athletics at the school.

The property’s uneven topography presents unique challenges, MCPS staff said. Although the school’s total property includes about 27 acres, the total “usable acreage” is about 16 acres.

If MCPS were to include a traditional athletic stadium at Woodward, along with baseball and softball fields, the school would lose all of its available parking spaces and be forced to build a parking garage, estimated to cost $50 million.

Developer of WMAL Radio Towers Site Unveils Latest Plans to Skeptical Public

Developer of WMAL Radio Towers Site Unveils Latest Plans to Skeptical Public: More than 150 residents near the site expressed concerns about traffic, school capacity

...The neighborhood is also projected to be home to about 150 students that would be assigned to the Walter Johnson High School cluster...

WJ Cluster Coordinator: “Stop approving non-priority developments..."

...Not far from the site is Walter Johnson High School, which is near capacity and projected to be over capacity by the 2017-2018 school year with no addition or modernization projects on the horizon.
Jennifer Cope, representing the Walter Johnson cluster of PTAs, told the Planning Board she saw a “major disconnect” in the county’s planning strategies and the approval of the EYA townhouse proposal. She also questioned how accurate the county’s school population projections are.
“Stop approving non-priority developments, especially those that are far from established rapid transit,” Cope said...

 http://www.bethesdanow.com/2014/07/17/planning-board-approves-bethesda-office-park-townhome-community/

But wait, there's more...

...And more development in the WJ Cluster. This time its Lerner Enterprises, and the Tower Companies owner of the White Flint Mall property, who have sent out their plans for development in the White Flint Sector (please note, now we live in 'White Flint, MD') and here it is, below. All in the WJ Cluster. So let me see, that's 339 residential units + 2459 residential units + ?? Oh my.

NOTICE OF SKETCH PLAN APPLICATION

Sketch Plan No: 320120040
Name of Plan: White Flint Mall Redevelopment
Current Zoning: Cr-4, C3.5, R2.0, H-250', CR3, C1.5, R2.5, H200' and CR1.5, C0.25, r1.5, H50'
Geographical Location: Southeast quadrant of the intersection of Executive Boulevard (extended) and Rockville Pike in White Flint, Maryland
Plan Proposed: 2,059,985 sq ft of commercial development (office and retail), 2,911,815 sq ft of residential development (approximately 2,459 residential units), 279,175 sq ft of hotel, and multi-level parking garage structures, for a total maximum density of 5,250,975 sq ft.
Date: February 15, 2012

The above-referenced Sketch Plan application has been filed with the Montgomery County Planning Board. ...You may participate in this review by sending written comments at any time to the Development Review division, M-NCPPC, 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910-3760, or by contacting the M-NCPPC Lead Reviewer, whose name you can get by calling 301-495-4595

The Montgomery County Planning Board will also hold a public hearing on the above-referenced plan application to obtain public comment. Written notification of the public hearing date will be sent no later than ten days before the hearing.

And More Development in WJ Cluster

Hi all,
I received the following notice for development in the White Flint Sector, below. All the development will be in the WJ Cluster. I believe 'east of Woodglen' means those children will go to Garrett Park ES.
Paula Bienenfeld

Notice of Public Hearing, March 1, 2012
A hearing for the Preliminary Plan and Site Plan referenced below will be held March 1, 2012 in the Montgomery County Planning Board’s first floor auditorium at 8787 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. You may testify before the Planning Board by signing up in advance at daicsearch.org/planning_board/testify.asp, by calling 301-495-4600, or by filling out the yellow form at the public hearing.

Name of Plan: North Bethesda Market IIZoning: Split Zoned CR3 C1.5 R2.5 H150 & CR4 C3.5 R3.5 H300
Acres: 4.41
Location: Located in the southeast quadrant of the intersection of Nicholson Lane and Woodglen Drive
Proposed Use: 290,282 sq ft of commercial uses and up to 382,986 sq ft of residential uses for up to 339 units, including 12.5% MPDUs; modifications from the approved Sketch Plan for this site include changes in building massing and public benefits.

The staff report will be available online via the link to the Planning Board’s Agenda at http://www.montgomeryplanningboard.org/ on Monday, Feb 20, along with an approximate time that this item will be heard, or call 301-495-4600 for more information.

For information about the staff recommendation or to offer comments on the plans, please contact Patrick Butler via email at Patrick.butler@montgomeryplanning.org or by phone at 301-495-4561 for the preliminary plan, or Joshua Sloan via email at Joshua.sloan@montgomeryplanning.org or by phone at 301-495-4597 for the site plan.

Written testimony should reference the agenda item and must be submitted at least one full business day before a scheduled hearing, i.e., by COB on the Tuesday before a scheduled Thursday hearing, may be emailed to MCP-Chair@montgomeryplanning.org or faxed to 301-495-1320.

More Development in WJ Cluster -- Planning Board Hearing Tomorrow

Hi all,
Here is the notice of public hearing for the Federal Realty plans for Mid-Pike Plaza (where Toys R Us, CVS, etc. are currently located). This is another enormous development with residential/commercial that will affect our traffic, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, schools and existing infrastructure and demands on our parks and libraries, police, etc. This is in the WJ cluster. Please take a look at the plans and see if this amount of density is appropriate for our current infrastructure and schools. While there may be an additional elementary school built eventually there are no plans for a new middle or high school. If you are concerned please write to the Planning Board today. The hearing is tomorrow, Thur, Feb 23rd.

Thanks.
Paula Bienenfeld

Name of Plan: Mid/Pike Plaza
Zoning: Split Zoned CR3 C1.5 R2.5 H200 & CR4 C3.5 R3.5 H300
Preliminary Plan No. 120120020 $& Site Plan No. 820120020
Master Plan: White Flint Sector
Location: northwest corner of the intersection of Old Georgetown Road and Rockville Pike
Acres: 24.38 acres (6.77 acres - Site Plan)

Proposed Use: Five (5) lots (2 temporary) dedication for two new roads and additional right-of-way along three perimeter roads for ultimate construction of up to 3,442,888 square feet of mixed-use development over multiple phases; phase 1 to include 605,057.5 square feet for commercial uses and 818,507.5 square feet for residential uses.

The staff report is available online via the link to the Planning Board's agenda at http://www.montgomeryplanningboard.org/ along with an approximate time that this item will be heard, or call 301-495-4600 for more information. If the approval of a final water quality plan is required, the Board will consider such plan at this public hearing.

For information about the staff recommendation or to offer comments on the plans, please contact Patric Butler via email at patrick.butler@montgomeryplanning.org, or by phone at 301-495-4561 for the preliminary plan or Joshua Sloan via email at Joshua.Sloan@montgomeryplanning.org or by phone at 301-495-4597.

White Flint Sector Plan: Scale it Back

This coming Wednesday, Sept. 16, Councilmember Roger Berliner will host an open forum at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center. With the White Flint Sector Plan up for a vote at the County Council, now is the time to let Councilmember Berliner know his constituents do not want inappropriate density, overcrowded schools, dangerous traffic, and boundary changes.

Here is the information on the forum:

Date: Wednesday, September 16

Time: 7:30 pm

Location: Bethesda-Chevy Chase Regional Services Center

4805 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda